Patrick Neill founded the company which was to become Neill & Co on 7 December 1749 in Edinburgh. It occupied premises in Old Fishmarket Close off the High Street for many years.
OTD 6 December 1752
The Edinburgh stationery and printing firm of George Waterston & Sons was established on 6 December 1752. Originally sealing wax manufacturers, the company soon moved into stationery production .
OTD 30 October 1577
30 October 1577 Thomas Bassendyne died in Edinburgh on 30 October 1577. Together with Alexander Arbuthnot, he printed the first translation of the Bible in Scotland, known as the Bassendyne Bible. The New Testament, printed by Bassendyne, was completed first, and the Bible as a whole is known as ‘the Bassendyne Bible’.
OTD 19 October 1749
William Ged died in Edinburgh on 19 October 1749. He had trained as a goldsmith, but pioneered a system of stereotyping, though he was unsuccessful in persuading printers to adopt it. It became a standard process early in the 19th century.
OTD 15 September 1507
On 15 September 1507 James IV granted Walter Chepman and Andro Myllar a licence to set up a printing press in Edinburgh.
Talk by Helen Williams
As part of the National Trust for Scotland’s Gladstone’s Land Lecture Series, the Trust’s Honorary Secretary, Helen S Williams will be giving a talk on August 31 on Edinburgh’s Print Workers and their Organisations. Printers had a tradition of collective organisation: the typographical societies, which later became the print unions, operated as welfare organisations for […]
Relief printmaking course at Edinburgh Printmakers
Edinburgh Printmakers are running courses on relief print-making from 10 November, taking place over a series of six weeks. For more details and information on how to book, see the EP website.
Typographic Surprise event in October
On Thursday 20 October 2022, the Trust’s Secretary, Helen Williams, is giving an online talk on Edinburgh in Print in the Typographic Surprises! series organised by the Printing Historical Society. This event is free and online but booking is required through this link.
Breaking the news exhibition
A pop-up display based on the British Library’s Breaking the News exhibition is on view at Edinburgh’s Central Library. The displays draw upon each library’s individual collection and regional connections to celebrate the value of regional news in communities across the UK. It is on display 4 July — 4 August 2022. Breaking the News […]
Edinburgh Printmakers open day
Edinburgh Printmakers is participating in Scotland’s Workshops Week with an Open Day on Saturday 9th April from 11am-4pm. Activities will include printmaking workshops, talks and printmaking demonstrations. All events and talks will be bookable in advance from Wednesday 30 March. For more details see the Edinburgh Printmakers’ website.